Methods for secure restoration of personal identity credentials into electronic devices

Abstract

A method and system for securely enrolling personal identity credentials into personal identification devices. The system of the invention comprises the manufacturer of the device and an enrollment authority. The manufacturer is responsible for recording serial numbers or another unique identifier for each device that it produces, along with a self-generated public key for each device. The enrollment authority is recognized by the manufacturer or another suitable institution as capable of validating an individual before enrolling him into the device. The enrollment authority maintains and operates the appropriate equipment for enrollment, and provides its approval of the enrollment. The methods described herein discuss post-manufacturing, enrollment, backup, and recovery processes for the device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 receiving a signature associated with a biometric encryption key from a party, the signature associated with the biometric encryption key having been decrypted by the party based on a private key associated with the party; 
 verifying a validity of a signature associated with a biometric encryption key based on a public key associated with a personal identification device; 
 sending a first section of the biometric encryption key in encrypted form to the party such that the party decrypts the first section of the biometric encryption key in encrypted form based on the private key associated with the party to produce the first section of the biometric encryption key when the first section of the biometric encryption key in encrypted form is received by the party; and 
 combining the first section of the biometric encryption key and a second section of the biometric encryption key to restore the biometric encryption key when the validity of the signature is verified. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 before the receiving, sending the signature in encrypted form to the party. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biometric encryption key is a symmetric key. 
     
     
       4. A method, comprising:
 decrypting a signature in encrypted form associated with a first section of a symmetric key based on a private key to produce the signature associated with the first section of the symmetric key, the private key being associated with a party, the first section of the symmetric key being less than an entirety of the symmetric key; 
 decrypting the first section of the symmetric key in encrypted form based on the private key to produce the first section of the symmetric key; 
 sending the signature in decrypted form and the first section of the symmetric key in decrypted form to a personal identification device such that the personal identification device combines the first section of the symmetric key with a second section of the symmetric key to restore the symmetric key associated with biometric data for the personal identification device. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 before the decrypting the signature in encrypted form, receiving the signature in encrypted form from the personal identification device. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 before the decrypting the first section of the symmetric key in encrypted form, receiving the first section of the symmetric key in encrypted form from the personal identification device. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the symmetric key is configured to decrypt biometric data in encrypted form. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the sending the signature is performed such that the personal identification device verifies a validity of the party when the signature in decrypted form is received by the personal identification device. 
     
     
       9. A method, comprising:
 decrypting a section of a first symmetric key in encrypted form based on a private key to produce the section of the first symmetric key in decrypted form, the section of the first symmetric key in decrypted form being less than an entirety of the first symmetric key, the private key being associated with a party; 
 after the decrypting the section of the first symmetric key in encrypted form, sending the section of the first symmetric key in decrypted form to a first personal identification device, the first symmetric key associated with biometric data for the first personal identification device; 
 decrypting a section of a second symmetric key in encrypted form based on the private key to produce the section of the second symmetric key in decrypted form, the section of the second symmetric key in decrypted form being less than an entirety of the second symmetric key; and 
 after the decrypting the section of the second symmetric key in encrypted form, sending the section of the second symmetric key to the first personal identification device; and 
 decrypting a signature in encrypted form associated with the section of the second symmetric key based on the private key to produce the signature associated with the section of the second symmetric key, the signature being encrypted at a second personal identification device, 
 the sending the section of the second symmetric key in decrypted form to the first personal identification device including sending the signature in decrypted form to the first personal identification device such that the first personal identification device verifies a validity of the party and the second personal identification device when the signature is received by the first personal identification device. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 before the decrypting the section of the first symmetric key in encrypted form, receiving the section of the first symmetric key in encrypted form from the first personal identification device. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 before the decrypting the section of the second symmetric key in encrypted form, receiving the section of the second symmetric key in encrypted form from the first personal identification device. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 decrypting a signature in encrypted form associated with the section of the first symmetric key based on the private key to produce the signature in decrypted form associated with the section of the first symmetric key, 
 the sending the section of the first symmetric key in decrypted form to the first personal identification device including sending the signature in decrypted form to the first personal identification device such that the first personal identification device verifies a validity of the party when the signature is received by the first personal identification device. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first symmetric key is configured to decrypt the biometric data in encrypted form. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second symmetric key is configured to decrypt personal identity credential in encrypted form for the first personal identification device. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the biometric data previously is stored on the second personal identification device. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the decrypting the section of the first symmetric key in encrypted form is performed before the decrypting the section of the second symmetric key in encrypted form. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the section of the second symmetric key is a first section of the second symmetric key, the sending the first section of the second symmetric key is performed such that the first personal identification device combines the first section of the second symmetric key with a second section of the second symmetric key to restore the second symmetric key associated with a personal identity credential for the first personal identification device.